Dogs Just like Babies
Written By : Nada Hassan
Dogs aren’t slaves, and their role is not to please their owners. They have needs just like us and it’s very important to fulfill those needs,Dogs are similar to human beings when it comes to feelings, they feel happy, sad, angry, hungry etc. But their brain functions differently. They don’t think in words, they just have needs and goals, and they aim to achieve them
Sometimes you will find your dog destructive and aggressive. This only happens when their needs aren’t fulfilled. When we keep them away or lock them to protect our furniture and shoes, they become stubborn and their needs and goals are still there, there is just no room for them to achieve their goals, but soon you will notice their aggressive behavior If we didn’t provide them with proper activities they will act on their own, this is when they’ll chew up our shoes and tear apart our furniture.
Dogs love to run and play, and use their energy, if not, they will use their energy to destroy everything Just like babies, dogs learn through social learning, they imitate other dogs and humans through conditioning. There are two types, the classical and the operant conditioning. The classical is responsible for the involuntary response and the operant is responsible for the voluntary response
Classical conditioning forms an association between two stimuli, it is when the dog salivates when food is served. For example, before every meal ring a bell, so he will associate the bell with the meal and every time he will start to salivate when he hears the bell, because he will understand that food is on the way
Operant conditioning forms an association between a behavior and a consequence, it is when the dog sits for a treat. When training your dog, you should use two techniques, reinforce the good behavior and punish the bad behavior
For example, you are trying to train your dog not to jump on you, so you will start with the “Positive Reinforcement” give him a treat or attention, if he jumps then use the “Negative Punishment” don’t give him your attention. The other time he jumps give him “Positive Punishment” push the dog down or give him a bump on the nose, this is how you discourage the jumping. Finally, use the “Negative Reinforcement” stop pushing the dog down
